Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 319b - Department of Developmental Services
Section 17a-238a. - Information available to individuals eligible for funding or services from Department of Developmental Services. Report. State-wide comprehensive residential waiting list. Assessment of need for future residential funding or servi...

(a) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Category” means the department's assessment of the urgency of an individual's need for funding or services from the department.
(2) “Department” means the Department of Developmental Services.
(3) “Level of need assessment” means the department's method of determining, through the use of a standardized screening tool, an individual's need for funding or services from the department.
(4) “Planning and resource allocation team” means the department's staff members who are responsible for (A) establishing an individual's category, (B) approving or denying an individual's request for funding or services, and (C) allocating resources to individuals receiving funding or services from the department.
(5) “Residential waiting list” means data maintained by the department that includes the number of individuals with intellectual disability who (A) have requested residential funding or services from the department, (B) have been determined by the department to be in need of such funding or services, and (C) are unable to receive such funding or services because of the department's inability to provide such funding or services within existing appropriations.
(b) An individual determined by the department to be eligible for funding or services from the department, or such individual's legal representative, may request and, if requested, shall obtain from the department a copy of (1) such individual's category for residential funding or services, if the individual has an unmet need for residential services, (2) such individual's request for funding or services submitted to the regional planning and resource allocation team, and (3) any decision on the individual's request for funding or services made by the regional planning and resource allocation team. Additionally, any such individual who receives annual funding or services from the department, or such individual's legal representative, may request and, if requested, shall obtain from the department a copy of such individual's (A) individual plan, and (B) level of need assessment.
(c) The Commissioner of Developmental Services shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, at least annually, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies concerning the number of individuals determined by the department to be eligible for funding or services from the department and who (1) have unmet residential care needs, (2) have unmet employment opportunity and day service needs, or (3) are eligible for the department's behavioral services program and are waiting for a funding allocation. The commissioner shall post such report on the department's Internet web site.
(d) The commissioner shall develop and maintain one state-wide comprehensive residential waiting list. Such waiting list shall (1) be organized by geographic region, (2) identify the type of residential funding or services each individual is requesting, and (3) include the estimated time period that the residential funding or services would be accepted by such individual. The commissioner shall update such list not less than quarterly.
(e) On or before August 1, 2018, and at least annually thereafter, the commissioner or his or her designee shall, in consultation with (1) each individual with intellectual disability who is eligible to receive residential funding or services from the department and who has an individual plan, and (2) the individual's legal representative, if applicable, assess the individual's need for future residential funding or services from the department. Such assessment shall include an indication of the time period when each support or service would be accepted by such individual based on information collected at the annual meeting.
(f) On or before December 1, 2018, and at least annually thereafter, the commissioner or his or her designee, shall review the residential waiting list with the advisory and planning councils, appointed pursuant to section 17a-273, and the Council on Developmental Services, established pursuant to section 17a-270.
(P.A. 16-60, S. 1; P.A. 17-61, S. 2; 17-188, S. 5; P.A. 18-32, S. 17; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 67.)
History: P.A. 16-60 effective May 26, 2016; P.A. 17-61 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subdiv. (1) re definition of “category”, redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) and (2) as new Subdivs. (2) and (3), deleting former Subdiv. (3) re definition of “priority status”, replacing “priority status” with “category” in Subdiv. (4), and adding new Subdiv. (5) re definition of “residential waiting list”, amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “priority status” with “category” and making a technical change in Subdiv. (1), amended Subsec. (c) by replacing provision re commissioner to report to public health and appropriations committees with provision re commissioner to report annually on department's web site, added Subsec. (d) re state-wide comprehensive residential waiting list, added Subsec. (e) re assessment of need for future residential funding or services and added Subsec. (f) re annual review of residential waiting list with advisory planning councils, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 17-188 amended Subsec. (c) by making a technical change; P.A. 18-32 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting references to guardian, effective July 1, 2018; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (c) by adding provision re commissioner to report to public health and appropriations committees and making a technical change, effective June 23, 2021.